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Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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Episode 24: Great Exorcist Order's Utter Scoundrel (7)

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“Maybe I should’ve held on to a few of them? Word travels fast.”

“…The sun’s setting, Hall Master.”

The haul had been smaller than Ise expected, leaving him clicking his tongue.

Barely more than three thousand.

Apparently, this island did not have as many marauder cultivators as he had hoped.

After they had cleaned out the third group of marauder cultivators that charged at Bisang and Buchun, no one dared approach them.

It was a shame, but today’s business would have to end here.

“Let’s head back. It’s been a while since I built up some good karma. Feels rewarding.”

“What good karma could you possibly have built up…?”

“I eliminated this island’s marauder cultivators and gave them some corrective education. The survivors can cultivate in peace now. If that isn’t good karma, what is?”

The argument had a strange sort of logic to it, and Buchun could only feel their Dao heart tremble.

* * *

Ise returned to the tavern with the excellent stir-fried dishes and gathered the Hall members who had scattered earlier.

“Oh? You’re back again!”

Ise gestured for his subordinates to sit.

The others had wondered why cultivators would eat mortal food, then stared in shock when Ise used the Turbid Qi Purification Art.

They already knew about his peculiar obsession with good food, but they had never expected him to learn an art just so he could eat mortal cuisine.

In any case, they enjoyed food stripped of its turbid qi for the first time in a while, along with cups of grain wine.

“Tell us what you found, one at a time. You can skip anything that overlaps.”

Shin Hyeon spoke first.

“I believe you should know this first. The Archipelago is divided into three major regions.”

Shin Hyeon drew three circles with spiritual energy.

Three enormous islands at the center.

The Inner Archipelago surrounding them.

And the Outer Archipelago farther beyond.

“The three central islands are nearly the size of continents, so they are called the Southern Continent. Ilgwang Island, which you seek, Hall Master, lies within the Inner Archipelago.”

“So we need to go farther in.”

“Yes. However, the way one finds islands here is rather unusual.”

“How so?”

“To reach the Inner Archipelago, we simply need to keep heading south. But after that, things become strange. The islands of the Archipelago… are said to move.”

“They move?”

Ise tilted his head.

“To be exact, the plates on the seabed that make up the Archipelago move. How should I explain this… Imagine three broad bowls of differing sizes stacked together, each one rotating on its own.”

Could the earthquake this morning have been related to that phenomenon?

When Ise gave Shin Hyeon a look demanding further explanation, Shin Hyeon brought over bowls from the kitchen with Telekinesis Art and demonstrated.

“It should be something like this, Hall Master.”

Ise rose into the air and looked down upon the island from above. No matter how he looked at it, he could not sense that the island was moving.

“I don’t understand at all. How is that possible?”

“That much is unknown. However, these strange shifts in position are considered common knowledge here. Those who travel between islands memorize their relative positions rather than their absolute locations.”

For example, the island they were currently on was Obi Island.

Obi Island lay four hundred li north of Ansu Island, and Ansu Island lay another nine hundred li northwest of Ssangsaeng Island.

That was how the Archipelago’s cultivators remembered geography.

“So after learning the first island’s name in the Inner Archipelago, we have to trace our way to Ilgwang Island as though crossing stepping stones.”

“Yes. Precisely.”

Even if the plates rotated and the islands changed places, the relationships between neighboring islands remained the same.

“…It’s more complicated than I expected.”

It was land difficult to comprehend through the common sense of the Eastern Continent.

“This island is so remote that no one knew Ilgwang Island’s exact location.”

Shin Hyeon trailed off regretfully. Then Hong Wonseo took over.

“There are three ruling powers in the Archipelago. All three are early- to mid-stage Nascent Soul Realm powers. One is an orthodox sect, another is a demonic sect, and the last is a demon race.”

The human orthodox path, the demonic path, and a race of demons.

Ise concluded that three groups as incompatible as water and oil had divided the Archipelago between themselves.

Then Hong Wonseo’s next explanation forced him to revise that judgment.

“What makes them unusual is that while they keep each other in check, none of the three rule over other sects or clans. The culture here is almost one of every person for themselves. In fact, the three join forces to pull up the ladder whenever a new Nascent Soul Realm clan seems likely to emerge.”

“So I can turn an entire island upside down, and no Nascent Soul Realm clan will show up and say, ‘You bastard!’”

“…How did you get that from what I said?”

Hong Wonseo blinked and asked, but Ise pretended not to hear. He signaled Pi Garam instead.

“Much of what I learned overlaps with the previous reports. One thing is certain, though. The cultivators here are exceedingly greedy.”

Pi Garam continued in a dry voice.

“The Zheng Empire would look positively civilized by comparison. I traveled with the Spirit-Veiling Art active, and the attacks came without pause. It became tiresome. Even orthodox cultivators seemed no different from demonic cultivators.”

Resources were abundant, and so were the eyes coveting them.

Anyone who appeared to possess even the slightest thing of value drew fangs from all sides, whether righteous or demonic. Here, the distinction between the two paths had become almost meaningless.

“That isn’t surprising.”

Compared to certain cultivators in the Northern Continent, who treated mortals as slaves and did not even see them as people, these people were practically decent.

“Are there any local customs or rules?”

This time, Seolryeong raised a hand.

“Nothing especially unusual. Apparently, there’s only one absolute rule. Never interfere with the beings of the ocean.”

Rules were written in blood, but the unspoken law concerning the ocean was practically an entire sea of blood, Seolryeong added.

“Even so, they say there are plenty of lunatics who insist on breaking it.”

As a result, the Archipelago’s history plainly recorded islands that had been attacked by beings of the ocean.

For cultivators, the ocean was both a land of danger and a land of opportunity.

Countless treasure maps were traded in secret, and some people brought up things from its depths that should never have been touched.

When the Water Dragon Clan, Ocean Spirit Kings, or Demon Kings could bear it no longer, they would occasionally attack and wipe out an entire island.

Even innocent people were routinely slaughtered, yet those hoping to make a fortune never ceased to appear.

“…What a mess.”

After that brief assessment, Ise shared the information he had gathered while correcting the marauder cultivators’ sticky fingers.

The sects of the Southern Continent usually established themselves around blessed grottos.

Qi Condensation Realm, Foundation Establishment Realm, Core Formation Realm, and Nascent Soul Realm blessed grottos were classified as first-tier, second-tier, third-tier, and fourth-tier blessed grottos respectively. Countless wars were fought for possession of them.

A single good blessed grotto could determine a sect’s rise or fall, so naturally the struggle for them was bloody.

That was also why there were no cultivation factions on this island.

It had no blessed grotto to begin with.

“Demonic sects and demons do not covet blessed grottos, but they fight over Extreme Yin Demon Grounds in much the same way. They classify them as first-tier yin grounds, second-tier yin grounds, and so on.”

“There is never a peaceful day in any cultivation world.”

“That’s nothing new.”

The cultivation world was ultimately a carnage pit where people fought over limited resources.

When one first entered the cultivation world, one was taught that cultivation was a battle against oneself. In time, though, one came to understand that it was closer to a struggle of all against all.

No one would have been that way from the beginning. Nor would they have wanted to be.

But the vast resources that immortal cultivation demanded despite one’s limited time, along with the sweet reward of longevity it offered, naturally stirred human desire.

Perhaps the twisted Dao heart of one person had first given rise to conflict, which had eventually spread into the struggle of the present day.

The Archipelago was where that struggle had reached an extreme.

Resources were so plentiful that people flocked here, yet war was just as rampant.

If not for these endless wars, the Archipelago would likely have seized hegemony over the Human Realm long ago.

Its overflowing resources were instead binding its growth.

“Lastly, Doksu?”

“I…”

Doksu hesitated.

Wherever he went, cultivators mistook him for a demon and fought him, or simply fled. As a result, he had barely accomplished his task.

It was understandable.

The dokkaebi clan was a foreign race active only in the Three Peninsula Kingdoms, so most people here would find them unfamiliar.

If it had been Ise, he would have subdued those who attacked and forced them to talk. But such a brutish method seemed beyond Doksu for now.

The hostility he had encountered for the first time had likely unsettled him as well.

Ise raised a hand and encouraged him, saying it was all right.

“I have a rough idea now. Let’s fly straight to the Inner Archipelago first. Seolryeong, how are the divinations?”

“They’re excellent. It’s been a while since we had such an auspicious sign. Hall Master, yours is especially great luck! The rest of us have minor misfortune, though…? Everyone should be careful not to get lost.”

Fortune and misfortune differed even within a group traveling together.

They should keep it in mind and remain cautious.

Ise took a talisman that brought good fortune from Seolryeong, gave it to the attendant as an extra gift, and rose from his seat.

“You’re very skilled. If we can, we’ll stop by on our way back.”

“Hehe. Thank you, Daoist masters! May heaven’s blessings be upon your journey!”

It was a smile that brightened the mood even of anyone watching.

Buchun, who needed sleep, was placed inside the Living-Spirit Cave Abode. Then Ise and the six Azure Dragon Hall members formed up and crossed the skies of the Archipelago.

The journey was long, so they made no effort to conceal their realms as they blatantly flew over the territories of other sects.

Every island they passed was thrown into panic.

One Core Formation Realm great cultivator and six Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators.

Such a force could pose a threat to every fortress in the Northern Continent except the three strongest.

Whenever they passed islands in the outer sea, cultivators who spotted them hurriedly looked away and hid, afraid they might be caught up in something.

Whenever they landed on an island to recover internal qi, Foundation Establishment Realm sects would come first and offer tribute, their heartfelt wish that the group would not linger and would leave as soon as possible.

Ise did not refuse those bribes, either.

As a result, Spiritual Stones kept rolling in while he did nothing but sit.

“This is far too profitable. Should we take a lap around the Outer Archipelago before we go?”

“Hall Master, you really do sound like a marauder cultivator.”

Only after Hong Wonseo’s cutting remark did Ise recover his Dao heart and hurry onward.

Ise and the Azure Dragon Hall members entered the Inner Archipelago safely. Thanks to a Foundation Establishment Realm sect that kindly offered information about Ilgwang Island as tribute, they were able to determine their direction.

After passing several islands, they were stopped at an island called Choyang Island.

“So the next island is Choeum Island. That’s an island of demon beasts?”

“Yes, Hall Master. To reach Heukgo Island, our next destination, we must determine our direction from the summit of the mountain rising at Choeum Island’s center.”

They had to pass through an island crawling with demon beasts.

Even the name Choeum Island hinted that it was a den of monsters steeped in yin qi.

They could determine the route to Heukgo Island from Choyang Island instead, at a pinch.

However, strange terrain beneath the Southern Sea disrupted magnetism in many places. They were told that if they relied on the Magnetic Needle and strayed from the prescribed sea route, they would almost certainly lose their direction.

If they wandered somewhere entirely wrong and entered the Water Dragon Clan’s territory by mistake, it would be a complete disaster.

“Twelve Foundation Establishment Realm demon beasts.”

Ise made his decision without hesitation.

There was no real reason to avoid them. He turned to Shin Hyeon.

“Perfect.”

“…Yes?”

“What was the name of that Foundation Establishment Realm faction from earlier?”

“The Azure Sea Sect.”

“Right. Bring their Sect Master here. Ask how much they can pay if we exterminate the demon beasts on Choeum Island.”

“So you intend to force your way through.”

“There’s no reason to avoid it. We can acquire ingredients for immortal cuisine, too, and I can see what you are all capable of. You have never fought opponents of the same realm, have you?”

The Azure Dragon Hall members exchanged looks.

“I know you are all exceptional in your respective crafts, but cultivators must ultimately know how to fight. An opponent will not go easy on you just because you are artisans.”

Whether they wanted it or not, the Great Exorcist Order would soon be swept into war.

When that happened, they would not be able to raise their hands and say, “I specialize in noncombat crafts, you know?”

Training and educating the Hall members was also the Hall Master’s duty, and Ise intended to fulfill that responsibility.

Ise grinned.

“I’ll catch the six strongest ones so the numbers match. Each of you can fight one. Don’t worry if you fail to meet expectations. Combat improves when you get tossed around enough.”

It was certainly true.

It was true, but…

The phrase “when you get tossed around enough” was rather unsettling.

“To think you can get all the real combat experience you could ever want. The Archipelago really is a wonderful place. Isn’t that great?”

His smile was so bright that the Azure Dragon Hall members could not shake the ominous feeling sending chills down their spines.

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